EASTON — Superintendent Lisha Cabral, Oliver Ames High School Principal Kelly Cavanaugh and Athletic Director Ryan Gordy are pleased to share that students Bailey Mooers and Matt Lawson received the Boston Bruins-Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Sportsmanship Award.
Mooers and Lawson were honored on March 21 during an on-ice ceremony during the second intermission of the Bruins’ home game against the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden. Mooers and Lawson were two of the 31 students honored at the event — all of whom were given tickets to the event and invited to a pre-game reception.
Mooers is a sophomore who plays defense for the Oliver Ames girls hockey team.
As part of a note submitted for the award, Coach Jamie Mullen said, “Bailey epitomizes what it means to be a great teammate and profoundly demonstrates the qualities of what this award represents. Her selflessness to take on any role, on and off the ice, to support her teammates makes her the type of person that every coach wants on their team.”
Mullen added, “Bailey’s contagious kindness, encouragement, strength and self-sacrifice is what makes a team a family.”
Matt Lawson is a junior forward with nine goals and eight assists this season. The team completed the year with a 10-9-1 record and finished 25th in Division 2.
In a note submitted for the award, Danny Erickson, who is the Canton Public Schools athletic director and oversees boys hockey for the Hockomock League, said, “The Oliver Ames Boys Hockey team earned the sportsmanship award this season for playing the game with exceptional class. Matt Lawson personifies that spirit.”
For the past 21 years, the Bruins and the MIAA have teamed up to honor high school hockey players from across the Commonwealth who best demonstrate leadership qualities on and off the ice. When selecting the winners for this award, a statewide committee of principals, superintendents and athletic directors looks for student-athletes who have:
- An exemplary record of complying, both in spirit and letter, with all league and MIAA rules and regulations during the season
- A demonstrated record of respectfully accepting the rulings of game officials
- A record of conduct on and off the ice that brings honor to one’s self, team, school and community
- A commitment to teamwork by providing all members with recognition of their talents
- A demonstrated respect for opponents before, during and after games
“We are so proud of Bailey and Matt and are excited to see them recognized,” Principal Cavanaugh said. “They set an example that all of our student-athletes can follow in their athletic and academic pursuits.”
For more information about the MIAA and Boston Bruins Sportsmanship Awards, click here.
